Blog 8: Critique Classmates Blog

The Texas Lottery, almost went away this past April 2013.  The Texas lottery, the House voted 92-53 to continue the Texas Lottery Commission.

According to Misty’s Dive Into Texas Government Blog, apparently our lottery has been losing popularity in the past few years.  The whole purpose of the lottery was to bring money into the state and help bring money into our school system.   Misty’s blog is good, but lacks more information in regards to how much money is being brought into the state by the lottery.

The lottery has accounted for about $21 billion since its inception.  If the lottery would have been voted out, our public schools would have lost out $2.2 Billion (over two years).  This would have also made bingo in the state of Texas illegal. There are non-profit organizations, such as Church’s that use bingo as a way to bring money into their organizations.

Our schools already lack funds for better education.  So why take away the money that the lottery can continue to give schools?  I am glad that it will be here for at least the next few years.  What we need to do is educate the public more about the benefits of keeping the lottery around. The Texas Lottery Commission, should use money towards more advertising (commercials) to educate the public.  I would have to disagree with Misty about the money going towards other programs or organizations, such as our veterans.  Our veterans fought hard for our country and deserve our help. 

 

BLOG 7...Texas Prosecutors in Hot Water...

Texas prosecutors are taking a beating with all the recent high-profile lawsuits against many of them.

There is an article By ROSS RAMSEY from the Texas Tribune Published: April 25, 2013
that I found very interesting and would like to share it with the rest of my Texas people.

According to Ross Ramsey’s report, one county prosecutor is in jail. A former district attorney is facing charges related to sending an innocent man to jail. One county spent nearly $400,000 settling a sexual harassment charge against its D.A. Another prosecutor is fighting contempt of court charges after refusing to testify in a prosecutorial misconduct inquiry.

An example puts it into focus: in Williamson County, a place known for show-no-mercy law and order, Republican voters ousted a longtime district attorney last year. They had their reasons, but the remarkable thing is that it was even possible.

This is our most recent news in Travis County, Rosemary Lehmberg, the district attorney, is serving a 45-day sentence for drunken driving. She was pulled over by police officer’s one morning this month after a witness reported a car weaving dangerously down the road. Lehmberg was booked, pleaded guilty and was sentenced without a court trial.

Travis County is the seat of the state government, and its district attorney has the duty of prosecuting state officials accused of violating ethics and campaign finance laws. It is also strongly Democratic; should Ms. Lehmberg, a Democrat, quit or be forced out.

Tarrant County has paid out a whopping $375,000 to settle sexual harassment claims raised by a former employee of Joe Shannon Jr., the district attorney.  In Dallas County, a judge brought a contempt of court charge against the district attorney, Craig Watkins, who declined to testify at a hearing on prosecutorial misconduct.

We have John Bradley, who was challenged in the Republican primary after a couple of high-profile controversies. He headed the inquiry into a notorious arson case in which Cameron Todd Willingham was executed after being convicted of killing his children and Mr. Bradley was the district attorney accused of sitting on evidence that might have freed Michael Morton, who spent nearly 25 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

Ken Anderson, Mr. Bradley’s predecessor and now a state district judge, is fighting charges that he withheld evidence in Mr. Morton’s prosecution. His lawyers are telling the judge’s judge that even if Mr. Anderson broke the law — they’re not conceding that point — the statute of limitations had expired more than 20 years ago.

Travis County is the seat of the state government, and its district attorney has the duty of prosecuting state officials accused of violating ethics and campaign finance laws. It is also strongly Democratic; should Ms. Lehmberg, a Democrat, quit or be forced out, Republican Gov. Rick Perry would get to appoint a successor who would stand for election in 2014.

Who can we trust if we can’t trust our justice system?  How can these people live with themselves knowing that they are putting innocent people in jail or and some being sentenced to death for a crime that they did not commit.

We definitely need to get these people out of our legal system and get people that do care and that will stand for our rights as human beings.

 

Blog 6: “Commentary on Classmates Blog”

The Austin Disposable Plastic Bag Ban has been making a lot of headlines here lately.   One of my classmate’s Maria Flores post from  March 29, 2013 on her blog that National Association of Convenient Stores (NACS) published an article on March 5, 2013.  In this article they are explaining this new policy to retailers, pharmacies and so forth about the plastic bag ban.

I myself approve of this plastic bag ban.  In my personal opinion Maria could have explained a little more in regards to this plastic bag ban, but still a good article to read.  Yes, it does not make any sense as to banning plastic bags if they are being replaced with thicker plastic bags.  Will these become a problem in the long run?  Are we having other issues as well with other plastics besides these smaller plastic bags?  Is it safe to reuse these bags if they are saying that bacteria is left behind if not properly washed before reusing them? 

These are some good points that Maria makes on her blog, but I have to say that everything we are doing to this earth is only going to affect our children and grandchildren.   I am for this plastic bag ban, and I am sure that sooner or later we get used to this ban and a year from now we will probably not even care about it. 

We need to be able to make changes that are good for us, even if it means giving up some things that we are so used to having.  This is good for our ozone and I am all for it.

Let’s Keep Texas Clean…..

Do we need Planned Parenthood?

I remember back from when I was a teenager and using the services of Planned Parenthood.  I felt so blessed back then to have had the opportunity to somewhere to turn to when I needed it the most.  I don’t believe that there is much sex education in anyone’s home.  Everything we learned was from other kids our own age.  I don’t even recall any sex education in school being taught to us.  I went to Planned Parenthood and that’s where I received all the information I needed to know.

I just read this article in the Austin American Statesman and dates back to March 7, 2013.  That's what brought all these old memories back to me.

First of all I want to thank the hundreds of people that rallied outside of the Texas Capitol on Thursday in support of Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood is seen by many Texas legislators as Public Enemy No. 1, only because they say it promotes abortions and Texas is a state that is against this practice.

In 2011, the Legislature voted to bar any financial assistance to any groups that had anything to do with abortions.  This has led to Planned Parenthood being removed from the Texas Women’s Health Program, which provided care to more than 130,000 low-income women. 

In my opinion as someone who has used these services and as a mother of teenage children, I truly believe that we need to keep Planned Parenthood.  It does not promote teen sex nor does it promote abortions.  They provide great services to our women and let’s not forget our men.

We need family planning services, and Planned Parenthood has been providing women with these services for many years.  They also provide other services such as, cancer screenings and other care services that have nothing to do with abortions.

Planned Parenthood has helped so many low income women during pregnancy and thanks to that help many of them have been able to succeed in school and have even earned college degrees because they had a support system that worked for them not against them.

Texas taxpayers pay more than $1 billion annually for Medicaid, a figure that will continue to rise if we do away with Planned Parenthood services. 

Republicans are the ones in control statewide.  They are the main ones complaining about our economy being so bent out of shape, yet they take no responsibility for their actions.

Go figure….

So the answer would be a definite yes, we do need Planned Parenthood. 

Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster files the “Shopping Bag Freedom Act”

This is my fourth government blog assignment.  We must critique a Texas blog.  This one caught my attention because it’s in regards to our most recent ban against plastic bags.  Come on, really?  Is this some kind of a joke.   This article is going to make my assignment easy and short, because it is short and weak with little information.

This article was created by Claire Cordona with the Dallas Morning News on March 6, 2013.

It begins by saying, “Austin- If you’ve forgotten your reusable grocery bag or frustrated with the new law, one legislator is on your side.”   Really, did she have to use the word frustrated?

The article says that just a few days after the bag ban went into effect on March 1, Rep. Drew Springer R-Muenster, filed the “Shopping Bag Freedom Act” that would overturn the ordinance, which was passed by the Austin City Council in March 2012.

“This act is just the latest example of government elites trying to step between the business and consumer in an attempt to push forward a misguided nanny-state agenda,” Springer said.

Then it goes to saying that people will forget to wash their reusable bags, which “puts uninformed populations at risk of serious illness and even death.  Even if bag hygiene was realistic, why mandate people to waste more water on laundry in a time of severe drought in the region and state?”

Springer said the bag ban puts cities on the path to mandate other things, like how much salt someone can put in their food.  If Springer did say this, why did Claire not use quotation marks? Do people really believe that someday the city will mandate how much salt we put in our food? I don’t think so.

The article is so small I just about put everything it said in my blog, except for a few things that I chose to leave out.  This article was pretty dull.  Claire did not put any kind of data to back up any of her research in regards to the ban on plastic bags.  Okay, it is bad for the environment, what else?  She also says that these reusable bags are dangerous if not washed before using them again. So they need to explain to us in what way these bags are dangerous.

I am for the plastic bag ban.  I was always getting mad about the bags tearing by the time I made it home anyway.  If this is going to help the environment, I am all for it.  The only concern I have is getting better educated on how we can avoid getting ill if we do not wash our reusable bags properly. 

 

Immigrants, advocates grow impatient with Obama on pace of changes to laws

I saw this ad in “The Washington Post” by Rosalind S. Helderman, Friday, February 22, 2013

There is so much anger towards the Obama administration, because there has been a record in deportations then when any other president in office the Latino community feels that deportations are on the rise.  About 400,000 undocumented immigrants have been deported each year since Obama took office, the highest deportations than any other president in office.

Homeland Security Secretary, Napolitano, said that 55 percent of those deported had felonies or misdemeanors and 96 percent were within the agencies priority categories.  Undocumented immigrants come here to find a better means of living for their families.  But at the same time, we also have those who break the law and deserve to be deported.  They must know if they commit a crime they must pay for their actions.

Our, President Barack Obama with the wake of all this controversy regarding immigration still has a high approval amongst the Latinos at about 73 percent, up from last year’s poll of about 48 percent. 

The members of the bipartisan group have been working together to come up with a bill that they hope to be submitting right around March.  President Obama, apparently is prepared to submit his own bill if this group does not get one put together soon. 

Some people feel that the president is using his power as president to his advantage and has taken it too far and are not happy with all of this immigration nonsense.   At this time, the president doesn’t have much time to get this done and is putting pressure on the bipartisan group. 

We all know that this immigration problem is not going away.  We have been dealing with immigration problems for so many years.  It is time that we for once give these undocumented immigrants the opportunity to stay and work here with a permit, and if they mess that up for themselves, then get them out of here simple as that.
 

Big Changes for Austin

Our Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell defends big projects for the city.

I just read an article from this past Tuesday’s, February 5, 2013 Austin American Statesman, where our city Mayor Lee Leffingwell just attending our annual state of the City Speech and say’s that Austin is being highly recognized by our nation and that we must be ready for big changes coming our way in order to keep up the pace with our growing city.

Critics are questioning whether Austin is growing at a fast pace and getting too expensive and losing what made it special to begin with.  Our Mayor defends the controversial projects such as the Urban rail, Formula One and now a new Medical School in the works for the near future.

“It would be very dangerous to allow our incredible success as a city to make us into self-satisfied protectors of the status quo, “he said.”  If we want to stay who we are, if we want to remain the envy of other cities….we must keep changing.”  

WHAT…well said Mayor Lee Leffington…

The Mayor applauded those he says are not afraid to take risks such as state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, who back in November 2012 submitted a ballot to help fund a much needed new Medical School which was approved even though it’s going to increase our property taxes in the process.        

This is why Austin stands to gain more jobs and help boost the economy with the new Medical School.

Leffington  has been pushing for the Urban rail system since his 2009 campaign because he feels that Austin’s No. 1 problem at this time is our traffic and plans to keep proposing it until it is  approved.

I suggest everyone read this article because it talks about our city of Austin that we live in and the future changes that might come our way.  Those of us that have grown up here and have seen all the changes to our city must agree that what was once a low-key lovely town is growing tremendously and is affecting us in regards to higher property taxes and cost of living has sky rocketed as well.  So my fellow Austinites, I recommend you read this article, so that you can keep up with our local news.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/mayor-defends-big-projects-touts-change-at-annual-/nWGX7/